TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Buffs didn't just have a game stolen from them on this road trip.

Colorado lost its identity.

Tad Boyle-coached teams are built on defense and rebounding.

During the losses to Arizona and Arizona State, the Buffs allowed nine different players to score in double figures and were out-rebounded 83-73.

CU allowed a 17-point lead slip away against the unbeaten Wildcats and had an early 17-4 lead disappear against the vastly improved Sun Devils.

"We definitely came on this trip and played well enough to win the first one, and whatever happened, happened," Spencer Dinwiddie said after scoring 19 points against Arizona State on Sunday night at Wells Fargo Arena. "This game, we gave it away. Clearly, we started 17 to 4 and we had the ability to run away with it and we didn't. That's very disappointed as a group. ...

"I don't like this feeling at all."

Had Sabatino Chen's game-winning 3-pointer at the end of regulation on Thursday night in Tucson been allowed, perhaps a confident CU squad would have taken care of business up the road at Arizona State.

Instead, the Buffs (10-4, 0-2) find themselves in the conference basement with Utah (8-6, 0-2) and Stanford (9-6, 0-2) after the first week of Pac-12 play.

"This game has nothing to do with what happened the other night. We were ready to go. The way we came out of the blocks proved that," Boyle said. "Right now we don't have the fortitude to sustain it, and it's awfully frustrating."

The Buffs were outscored 53-46 in the second half and 12-3 in overtime during the 92-83 loss at Arizona.

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The Sun Devils won the final 30 minutes by a count of 61-39 in their 65-56 victory over CU.

"I definitely think it was a huge win for us," Arizona State center Jordan Bachynski said after using his 7-2 frame to score 16 points, grab seven rebounds and block nine shots against the Buffs. "For us to be able to step up and play like we did and come out with the win ... and it wasn't an overtime win, so it's a little better than our friends down south."

Xavier Johnson scored 13 points and had six rebounds as a starter at Arizona. Chen, despite having his clutch shot taken away, played the best game of his career with 15 points off the bench.

The two went back to their normal roles -- Chen starting and Johnson being the sixth man -- against Arizona State and combined for nine points on 4-for-11 shooting.

Boyle substituted liberally after CU took its early 13-point lead, but the bench was outscored 12-4 in the end (Johnson had both baskets).

Having Askia Booker (13 points) and Andre Roberson (five points) finish a combined 7-for-24 from the field didn't help.

"I feel like we let up on the gas and let them back in the game. Things just started going their way a little bit," said Roberson, who did have 13 rebounds. "That's one thing we're having trouble with right now is finishing games."

CU, which is 6-0 at home this season, will try to get back on track against USC on Thursday and UCLA on Saturday at the Coors Events Center.

The Buffs are now 1-4 in true road games. The combined record of the teams that handed them the four losses is 52-3.

"To be successful in league play, if you want to finish in the top half of the league and you want to separate yourself from the pack, you have to win on the road," Boyle lamented. "We had two opportunities on this trip to win on the road and we came out 0-2. Those are opportunities we'll never have again this year. ...

"We're not interested in holding serve at home and losing on the road. We want to hold serve at home and win on the road. We're not there yet."

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